Evolve SouthWest http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk Impartial professional advice from within the voluntary and community sector Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:57:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 en Evolve has come to an end http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/06/04/the-end-of-evolve/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/06/04/the-end-of-evolve/#comments Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:54:16 +0000 Rob Turner http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/06/04/the-end-of-evolve/ Unfortunately funding for the Evolve project has come to an end and COSMIC are therefore unable to continue to deliver the service. Everyone at COSMIC who has been involved with the project would like to thank the many organisations who have leant their support over the year, helping in the promotion of the service as well as through provision of resources, etc.We at COSMIC are very proud of the Evolve project and the great positive impact it had on the largely unsupported small rural voluntary and community organisations across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. However don’t just take our word for it, take a look at the testimonial and case studies sections within this site.

]]> http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/06/04/the-end-of-evolve/feed/ Workshop proves a great success http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/03/25/workshop-proves-a-great-success/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/03/25/workshop-proves-a-great-success/#comments Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:41:29 +0000 Rob Turner http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/03/25/workshop-proves-a-great-success/ A very constructive day was had by all in Newquay, when the Evolve project ran their three hour workshop entitled ‘An Introduction to Website Design’
The workshop was free to small voluntary and community organisations and designed to give an introduction to the main areas of website design, ensuring organisations’ develop a clear plan to help guide them to make the right decisions and ensure that they get the most out of having a website.
The workshop was held at the fantastic Source Cafe in Newquay which during the day runs as a internet cafe, providing a ideal relaxing place to get on-line and catch up with friends.
for-website.jpg

As was mentioned earlier a constructive day was had by all, but don’t just take our word for it…

 “Very well delivered - lots of useful information - don’t feel overloaded”

“Excellent workshop - gave me a lot of new ideas and also basic mistakes I have made with my current website”

“Well presented and interesting.  Some great tips, which will make things alot easier”

“I know very little re: ICT, but you guys explained things so clearly and simply that I left feeling confident - I can tell whoever designs our website exactly what we need - Thanks” 

]]> http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/03/25/workshop-proves-a-great-success/feed/ FREE Into to Website Design Workshop - Cornwall http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/02/12/free-into-to-website-design-workshop-cornwall/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/02/12/free-into-to-website-design-workshop-cornwall/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:36:08 +0000 Rob Turner http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/02/12/free-into-to-website-design-workshop-cornwall/ Evolve will be running a FREE workshop for rural voluntary and community groups in Devon, entitled “An introduction to Website Design”. The workshop will be on Thursday the 16th March and held at The Source Cafe in Newquay.  It will be a fantastic opportunity for groups to learn all about website design and the different options available.  At lunchtime there will also be a chance to network and try out some technology equipment, including accessibility kit.

Evolve Workshop Flyer - Cornwall

For more information and to book your place contact Rob Turner on 07872666400, or use the ‘Contact us’ form on the Evolve website. 

]]> http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/02/12/free-into-to-website-design-workshop-cornwall/feed/ Sending text messages to remote workers via email http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/01/23/sending-text-messages-to-remote-workers-via-email/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/01/23/sending-text-messages-to-remote-workers-via-email/#comments Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:08:50 +0000 Rob Turner http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/01/23/sending-text-messages-to-remote-workers-via-email/ Why struggle with predictive text (never works) and tiny buttons when sending texts to mobile workers? Use your computer instead!  

It is often the fact, especially in rural areas that mobile workers are not available on email all of the time. Even when phone contact is available, conversations may be inconvenient and haphazard, being subject to call break-up and external interferences (especially in windy rural areas) 

By downloading a free pugin for Outlook, office workers can type emails effortlessly on a normal keyboard and have them converted to SMS texts so time-critical information arrives at mobile phone-toting workers in a way they can handle and is convenient.

Organisations can also set up an account which will reduce claiming complications and provide relief for remote workers by the cost of the messages going through the organisational account. 

The texts are not free, however they are still certainly affordable (see below for breakdown):
Costing Breakdown 

Benefits:
- Links seamlessly into outlook
- Uses your existing contacts list
- Send same message to multiple phones
- Sent messages are recorded in your sent items
- Repies form mobiles users go straight into your inbox 

To try out this fantastic service for free! You can register your details for 5 free credits. 

To download the Plugin and for more information:
IntelliSoftware Outlook Plugin

]]> http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/01/23/sending-text-messages-to-remote-workers-via-email/feed/ Rural ICT Hub conference http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/01/21/rural-ict-hub-conference/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/01/21/rural-ict-hub-conference/#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:03:08 +0000 Rob Turner http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/01/21/rural-ict-hub-conference/ The conference aims to address the ICT needs of voluntary and community sector organisations working with rural groups with the aim of helping them to better deliver their services.

Ensure you book early for the conference which is being held at Lackham College, Chippenham on 5th March 2008. The event promises to provide organisations with an excellent opportunity for learning, networking and interacting, all with a focus on operating in rural areas of the UK. There will be workshops including case studies of successful work such as the Evolve Project which will reflect on lessons learnt as well as taking a look to the future. 

More information on the conference can be found on the ICT Hub Website:

Conference Details

]]> http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2008/01/21/rural-ict-hub-conference/feed/ FREE Evolve Workshop - Intro to Website Design http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/12/18/free-evolve-workshop-intro-to-website-design/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/12/18/free-evolve-workshop-intro-to-website-design/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:11:48 +0000 Rob Turner http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/12/18/free-evolve-workshop-intro-to-website-design/ Evolve will be running a FREE workshop for rural voluntary and community groups in Devon, entitled “An introduction to Website Design”. The workshop will be on Monday the 25th February and held at COSMIC.  It will be a fantastic opportunity for groups to learn all about website design and the different options available.  At lunchtime there will also be a chance to network and try out some technology equipment, including accessibility kit.

Evolve Workshop Flyer - Devon

For more information and to book your place contact Rob Turner on 07872666400, or use the ‘Contact us’ form on the Evolve website. 

]]> http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/12/18/free-evolve-workshop-intro-to-website-design/feed/ Write a Winning Funding Proposal http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/12/10/write-a-winning-funding-proposal/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/12/10/write-a-winning-funding-proposal/#comments Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:11:08 +0000 Rob Turner http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/12/10/write-a-winning-funding-proposal/ Apply yourselves is a free software application from funder finder. 

Dowload the free software here: Apply Yourselves

The Apply Yourselves software helps you write effective funding applications. You can use it to draft a letter or proposal to funders. As you put together your proposal, click on buttons and text to get advice about what should be included and what funders will expect to see.

There are also some fantastic articles on the ICT Hub knowledgebase that can point you in the right direction:

Project Management - Funding applications
Writing a Winning Grant Proposal

]]> http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/12/10/write-a-winning-funding-proposal/feed/ My Computer My Way http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/10/31/my-computer-my-way/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/10/31/my-computer-my-way/#comments Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:39:51 +0000 Rob Turner http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/10/31/my-computer-my-way/ Computer Accessibility is an area that affects everybody.  Noboby should be excluded from using computers and there are simple free tools that can make all the difference to people, ensuring they can fully access the benefits technology has to offer as well as ensure that problems are not unnecessarily worsened.

‘My computer my way’ is a website that takes you simply through how to set your computer up to meet your needs. http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/myway/ 

]]> http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/10/31/my-computer-my-way/feed/ Top Article - Website design http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/10/08/top-article-it-health-safety/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/10/08/top-article-it-health-safety/#comments Mon, 08 Oct 2007 11:25:31 +0000 Simon Duncan http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/10/08/top-article-it-health-safety/ Writing a brief for a website

An absolute must for anyone wanting a new website or redesigning their current website. A step by step process which will enable you to think about and plan all aspects of your website so that you get the site that you want, not the site that your web designer thinks you want.

]]> http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/10/08/top-article-it-health-safety/feed/ ICT! - Please put that into English http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/07/20/ict-please-put-that-into-english/ http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/07/20/ict-please-put-that-into-english/#comments Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:59:22 +0000 Rob Turner http://www.evolvesouthwest.org.uk/2007/07/20/ict-please-put-that-into-english/ The VCS (Voluntary and Community Sector) is full of handy acronyms, however if you don’t know what they mean they can drive you mad!  The world of ICT (information and Communications Technology) is no different with the added problem that even if a term is not an acronym there still is a fair chance of still not understanding what on earth it means!  So if you want to know what terms such as ADSL, firewall and Java mean then why not visit the ICT Hub Glossary at:

 http://www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/index.php?id=glossary

If you still can’t find your answer you can always ask them to add it to the list. 

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